Abstract
Recurrent lesions of the oral mucosa indicate that the balance between destructive and reparatory events is periodically lost. This chapter reviews the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of the classic conditions that should be considered in the differential diagnoses of recurrent mucosities of the oral cavity: aphthous stomatitis, herpetic lesions, candidiasis, lichen planus, pemphigus vulgaris, erythema multiforme, and fixed drug reactions. Aphthous lesions, also known colloquially as “canker sores,” are the most common form of oral ulcerations. Candidiasis is the most common mycosis of the oral cavity. Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory lesion that presents with relapse and remissions. Pemphigus is a relatively rare but potentially fatal blistering disease causing lesions of the skin, mucosa, or both. Fixed drug eruptions are recurrent and site‐specific lesions of the skin, moccosa, or both that occur each time a specific drug is taken.